1. East of England Regional Social Prescribing Event Tuesday 7th February 2017
Dr Michael Dixon
National Clinical Champion for Social Prescription (NHS England)
Chair College of Medicine

2. Short Definition
Enabling healthcare professionals to refer patients to a link worker, to co-design a non-clinical social prescription to improve their health and wellbeing.

3. What does Social Prescription offer?
A non-biomedical solution/de-medicalisation
Personalised care and treatment
Patient activation/self-care
Sweating local assets

4. The Patient
The GP
General Practice
The Local Community
The National Health Service

5. What is the model of SP?...

6. There isn’t just one..
Data from evaluations shows approx. 6 models of working
Community hub
Person – GP/HCP group in practice
link worker in practice
Comm/Voluntary
Link worker in the community groups

7. More important to work with local assets, environment and understand key ingredients
Gain the relationships, trust and shared vision

8. 180 innovators were asked..
What do you think are the key ingredients to making a successful social prescribing service?

9. Preliminary Economics
Preliminary data is gradually emerging around the country. Variety of methods used. ROI may take 2 years and beyond for health care funder. Who gets the return and when ~funders Social ROI – ‘In year’ return of £1.20 – £3.10 Cost of prevention angle not yet mapped

10. Funders
CCG %
Council / Local Authority 20%
NHS/PH England 10%
GP Practice 1%
Wellcome Trust 1%
Arts & Humanities Res Council 1%
Locality 1%
Lottery %
Other Trusts/Foundations 10%
Other Charities 2%
Changing landscape - more LA involvement, STP requirements, NHS crisis (!)

11. Where the SPN began
Investigating the theories that underpin Social Prescribing (SP) approaches to health creation - Wellcome Trust Seed Award
January 2016 Conference of 100 innovators
March 2016 – Launched report at House of Parliament
April 2016 – Appointment of a National Clinical lead for Social Prescription
Sep 2016: 400 members, regional groups, newsletters and a lot of enthusiasm
January 2017: 700 members. National conference May 18, 2017